Hat and cloak rack.



In am.

.UNiTEDSTA'Z ES f 'atented September 29,

i PATENT OFFICE; 1

HAT AN D OLOAK RAGK.

srnoxrrcanon' remmers um me No. ceases, mi september so, ieee.

objects to provide a substantial, ornamentah and convenient rack for the purpo'sehereinatter setgforth.

It is specially adapted for. use in hotels,

l amusement-halls, at receptions, and other eutertainments where gues or patrone are required to deposit their hats, cloaks, dac., lie-- tore entering, and it provides suitable means whereby auch articles of apparel can he so :o placed thereon without lfolding or packing, as is now required in such places, owing to the method of using boxes or shelves for the pur- The manner in which myx-ack is constructz5 ed provides a greater hook capacity than ordinarily attained, owing tothe free use of both the outside and inside of the hook-car rying frame and by providing extended ends to said frame, all being su ported by one set 3o of standards, occupying a ited amount of door space; furthermore, by vconstructing it so that it can he folded and stored away provides means whereby owners can use one or more, as necessity may demand. This is particularly advantageous in hotels at the entrances to their diningrooms. Where ordinarily one -rack would be suicient, there are times when more would be necessary. It is usual to have an attendant in charge of these 4o racks, who gives numbered checks (corre sponding to nu mhers on or near the hooks) for identification, and with a rack of this description the attendant (usually al boy) can wait upon a greater numberof guests in a shorter length of time than is usual, avoiding the necessityofdelaytotheguestsspeciailydnring rush hours. It pleases the patrons of these places to see their wearing-apparel well taken care of, and it lessons the expense to the pro- 5e prietors oi auch. places in that the lahm: is lees and damage to apparel is entirely ohviated, for which the proprietor is responsible. These innnunntammqsnuos. serum. 144.407. romani objects I attain hy the means illustrated in -4 l .the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective of my improved Q5 A rack; Fig. 2, a view showing it in a folded position, and Fig. 3 a detail view. c

In the drawings, A A' indicate the halves of a rectangular frame carrying hat and coat hooks, having longitudinal side bars B B' and 6o transverseends C C', the side bars being connected by hinges a. .Rigidly secured there# .to or formed integral therewith are the ex'- tended ends DD' for the purpose hereinafter described. The transverse ends are hinged at their centers at EE' and rest upon standarde F F', provided at their lower ends with transverse extended feetA G G'. Connected to the lower ends of the standards by means of hinges H H' are longitudinal hars I l', they 7o being connected together by a hinge J onthe under face thereof.

To retain the hcok-carrying frame in ahorlzontal position, rods'K, secured to the 'stagniardsat L, are used, said rodshaving hooked ends to engage eyes M, secured to the under side' of the extended ends, or sliding plates N, located adjacent tothe line of separation of the parte A. A', can be used, adapted to engage a keeper secured to the opposite part. 8oY i One or both of these securing devices can be used for the purpose. The extended ends increase .the hook capacity ,of the frame com venient to the attendant in charge, without additional amount of floor-space and serve 8'5 to make the rack more ornamental. Moreover, being extended in the opposite direc` tion from the hinges than the rectangular part of the fra'me it serves to act as a counn. terbalance-for any weight suspended from-9o the hooks of the central part of the frame, and if .made of sufficient length and weight, or weighted, will counteract the weight on the rectangular frames without the use of securing devices. In operating 4the attendant .in charge will iirst cover the hooks on the extended ends to resist any pressure brought to bear upon the central part, and after utilizing the hooks on the outside of the rack and more hooks are iro tion to. construct the racks and of a size fourinches by fourinches. This adds weight and stability to the structure, also allowing the use of heavy fastening devices for the hooks and separating sniciently the rows of hooks on the outside and inside, so that garments' suspendedl from one row will not interfere with jgarments on the other.'. The height is made suitable for banging the longgst garments thereon without reaching the oor.

It will be noticed that in arranging the bookson the frame they are placed alternately from one side to the other, as plainly shown iu Fig. 2 of the drawings, so when folded the hooks will not lock or interfere with each other. By supporting the hookcarrying frame at the centers of the transverse ends and having the extended ends beyoud said supports I obtain a hook-carrying trarne free from obstructions around its circumference,- allowing the hanging o! garments without interference of the supports and increasing the capacity of the rack.

Having fullydescribed my invention, what Lclaisn is- 1. A hat andcoat rack consisting of a hooksupporting frame, supports at opposite sides thereof, eitended ends partially surrounding said supports, and a connecting-barbetween the supports, substantially as described.

2. A hat vand coat rack consisting of a'rectangular hook-supporting frame having inside and outside hook-supporting surfaces, supports at opposite sides thereof, extended ends partiallysurrou-nding said supports, and n connecting-har between said standards, substantally as described.

3. A hat and coat rack consisting of a divided hook-supporting frame, standards or Ysupports hinged to said frame, a divided connectingbar hinged at the line of division and f to said standards or supports at their ends,

reame to hold the frame in and a fastening device substantially as .de 45 a horizontal position, scribed.

4. A hat and coat'rack, consisting of a di vided hook-supporting frame, extended ends rigidly connected to said frame, supportingstandards hinged to said frame, and a divided 5o connecting-bar hinged at the line of division, and at its ends to the standards, substantially as described.

5. A hat and coat rack consisting of a divided hooksupporting frame, having extended ends, supporting-standards hinged to said frame, a divided connocting-bar hinged at the line of division and at its ends tosaid supports or standards, and a fastening device for holding the hook-frame in a horizontal 6o' position, substantiallyas described.

6. A hat and coat rack consisting of a divided hook-supportin-g frame, with extended ends, said divided frame being hinged at the line of division, supporting-standardshinged to said frame, a divided connecting bar hinged at the line of division and at its ends to the standards, and fastening devices for holding the hook-trame in a horizontal position, substantially as described.

7. A hat and coat'hook, consisting of 4a di., vided hook-supporting frame at its top hinged at tireline of division, standards hinged thereto, said frame adapted to fold downward, a .divided connecting-bar hinged to the lower 75 ends of said standards and at the line of-division thereof, adapted to fold upward, and securing devices to hold'the hook-frame in a horizontal position, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES A. GERSTBACHER. Witnesses:

R. W. Breuer, Jammu M. WRIGHT. 

